Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Brane Mozetič

Can you hear it, Dave, that noise outside

Can you hear it, Dave, that noise outside. Maybe
it’s a burglar. Or a bomb. Come on, wake up
Dave, maybe another war has broken out and we’ll have
to go into the basement again. You know nothing about this.
How many hours, days, to be spent in darkness.
Or is it only a fire? Has the neighbour fallen out of bed?
Anything is possible. You keep sleeping, not saying
anything. Wake up Dave, so I won’t be alone when
the end of the world comes. You’re a pile of meat, Dave, who has
rolled around with everyone. Nothing gets you.
You won’t even know when your flesh
starts to rot. It’ll be horrible in the basement
and I’ll have to throw you out to the dogs.
Then all the night clubs will be safe from you. Dave,
you say nothing. Can you hear me, do you ever listen?
Another noise. I think there won’t be
a war. Perhaps it’s only our world crashing down
in pieces in the middle of the night when decent people
are asleep, like you, Dave, and I eavesdrop on noises
and am afraid.

Can you hear it, Dave, that noise outside

Ali slišiš, Dave, zunaj nekaj ropota. Morda je
vlomilec. Ali je eksplodirala bomba. Daj, zbudi
se, Dave, morda je spet izbruhnila vojna in bo
spet treba v klet. Ti ne veš ničesar o tem.
Koliko ur, dni, bo treba preždeti v temi.
Ali pa je samo požar? Je sosed padel s postelje?
Vse je mogoče. Ti pa kar spiš in ničesar ne
rečeš. Zbudi se, Dave, da ne bom sam, ko bo
konec sveta. Ti, kepa mesa, Dave, ki si se že
z vsemi povaljal. Nič ti ne pride do živega.
Še vedel ne boš, kdaj boš umrl in bo tvoje
meso zasmrdelo. V kleti bo tako obupno, da ga
bom moral vreči ven, da bo plen podivjanih psov.
In vsi nočni bari bodo varni pred tabo. Dave,
nič ne rečeš. Ali me slišiš, sploh kdaj poslušaš?
Še enkrat zaropota. Mislim, da ne bo
vojna. Morda pa se ruši najin svet, po koščkih,
takole sredi noči, ko vsi pošteni ljudje spijo,
kot ti, Dave, jaz pa prisluškujem šumom in
me je strah.
Close

Can you hear it, Dave, that noise outside

Can you hear it, Dave, that noise outside. Maybe
it’s a burglar. Or a bomb. Come on, wake up
Dave, maybe another war has broken out and we’ll have
to go into the basement again. You know nothing about this.
How many hours, days, to be spent in darkness.
Or is it only a fire? Has the neighbour fallen out of bed?
Anything is possible. You keep sleeping, not saying
anything. Wake up Dave, so I won’t be alone when
the end of the world comes. You’re a pile of meat, Dave, who has
rolled around with everyone. Nothing gets you.
You won’t even know when your flesh
starts to rot. It’ll be horrible in the basement
and I’ll have to throw you out to the dogs.
Then all the night clubs will be safe from you. Dave,
you say nothing. Can you hear me, do you ever listen?
Another noise. I think there won’t be
a war. Perhaps it’s only our world crashing down
in pieces in the middle of the night when decent people
are asleep, like you, Dave, and I eavesdrop on noises
and am afraid.

Can you hear it, Dave, that noise outside

Can you hear it, Dave, that noise outside. Maybe
it’s a burglar. Or a bomb. Come on, wake up
Dave, maybe another war has broken out and we’ll have
to go into the basement again. You know nothing about this.
How many hours, days, to be spent in darkness.
Or is it only a fire? Has the neighbour fallen out of bed?
Anything is possible. You keep sleeping, not saying
anything. Wake up Dave, so I won’t be alone when
the end of the world comes. You’re a pile of meat, Dave, who has
rolled around with everyone. Nothing gets you.
You won’t even know when your flesh
starts to rot. It’ll be horrible in the basement
and I’ll have to throw you out to the dogs.
Then all the night clubs will be safe from you. Dave,
you say nothing. Can you hear me, do you ever listen?
Another noise. I think there won’t be
a war. Perhaps it’s only our world crashing down
in pieces in the middle of the night when decent people
are asleep, like you, Dave, and I eavesdrop on noises
and am afraid.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère